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The Hurley School District announced on Sunday, May 7, 2023, that an eight-year-old Wisconsin boy had gone missing in the Porcupine Mountains, in Michigan. The child, Nante Niemi, went missing while camping with his family in Michigan's Western upper peninsula. Nante was last seen by family members near a campsite they had set up in the wilderness park.
According to a report by Fox, while half of the child's family was fishing, the other half was collecting wood. The child asked an older family member if he could return to the campsite and was last seen walking back to the campsite on Saturday at around 1 pm.
As reported by the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, over a dozen agencies are currently involved in the search for the child. The Hurley School District noted that several Wisconsin residents have also volunteered to go to the Porcupine Mountains Park to help with the search effort.
They said that the school district is currently in the process of organizing two buses to transport the volunteers to the park. Authorities from Iron County, Michigan, have also offered their help in searching for the missing child.
A community responds to the missing person's case in the Porcupine Mountains
Nante Niemi's mother, Jessica Buerger, spoke to WDIO-TV about her son going missing. She said that the rough terrain in the Porcupine Mountains park has made the search effort more difficult for all those involved. Buerger told the news channel that despite this, those involved in looking for the child are dedicated and thorough.
According to Fox, the Hurley School District has organized an initiative to transport volunteers to the Porcupine Mountains. Meanwhile, the park authorities have requested that civilians stay away. They said that professional agencies are currently handling the situation, and civilians may obstruct the search, or even get lost in the State park themselves.
After the park authorities notified the Hurley School District that they do not want additional help, spokespeople from the district responded that they are still ready if needed.
The school posted that they are in contact with local authorities who know that the school has two buses full of volunteers who are willing to go help in the search. The post added that a number of professional agencies from Wisconsin and Michigan are working in the area. It said that the volunteers are being told to stay away so that the professional agencies can "best do their jobs."
The Upper Michigan Source said that certain volunteer efforts have been welcomed. Many locals are providing water and other necessities for those involved in the search.
The park has seen some missing person cases with only one unsolved case
The park is spread over 59,000 acres, and has a variety of outdoor activities. If a person goes missing, searches typically include resources such as drones, helicopters, and K-9s.
According to Michigan Live, while the park has seen a number of missing person cases over the years, only one disappearance has gone unsolved in the last 60 years.
In the only unsolved missing persons case, 19-year-old student Michael Larson disappeared over 50 years ago. Larson drew money before going to the natural park, indicating that he may have intended to disappear.
Porcupine Mountains authorities have not clarified the circumstances that led to Nante Niemi going missing. However, the search is still underway.
